


Bread and Butter

by Brackish



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F, Fluff, I don't even go here., Short One Shot, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-24
Updated: 2017-03-24
Packaged: 2018-10-09 14:04:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10413834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brackish/pseuds/Brackish
Summary: After Lena finds herself unceremoniously fired from her position, her bad luck continues when she's caught in a flash storm. Seeking refuge, she dives into the closest store available, and finds comfort in a new friend.





	

"You're done; pack your things, and get out."

"Yes,  _sir._ " Lena spat the word with loathing, before adding quietly, " _Asshole."_

Her boss froze in place, hate radiating from his thick, pudgy face. "What was that?"

"Nothing." Lena scowled. "Thank you for the... Opportunity." 

She turned to leave, but not before catching the last, snide remark muttered under his breath. 

"Never should have hired a  _Luthor_." 

Lena wasn't sure whether to laugh or scream in exasperation. Her co-workers certainly didn't offer any sign of affection as she bundled up her belongings into a small, sad cardboard box. A few people deigned to pass her a knowing nod, a gesture of remorse, but there was never going to be any tearful goodbyes, no hugs, no shakes of the hand, no "all the best for the future," or "you'll land on your feet!"

As she took the elevator down, Lena was sure of one thing; she wasn't going to cry. She was used to this by now, being scorned by the world for circumstances far beyond her control. It had been worse when she first tried to distance herself from her family, trying to forge her own path, but the weight of her name seemed followed her wherever she went, like a sinister storm cloud just waiting to strike. 

She was alone, but that hardly felt new. What hurt the most, was that she had nobody to complain to. 

The real clouds were no less forgiving. Dark and foreboding, Lena stood in the company lobby, peering hesitantly out onto the street, her brain working through the mental arithmetic to determine whether or not she'd have enough time to get back to her apartment before the sky split itself asunder. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a sign of terrible things to come.

Lena glanced down into her cardboard box, hoping beyond hope that an umbrella would have magically appeared to save her the trouble, but she knew already that she wasn't exactly familiar with that sort of good fortune. In fact, there wasn't much of anything in there - just a mug she had brought in from home, a few notebooks she had taken from the stationary room to serve for notes, and a vase that had been left by the previous tenant at her desk. 

"Are you alright, miss?"

Lena looked up to see an aged looking doorman watching her over the reception desk.   

"Oh - yes." Lena said, gesturing to the street. "Just - just planning my trip home." 

"Right, then." The doorman said. "Better hurry up. Looks like it's going to start raining at any moment." His eyes flickered to the box. "Do you need help with your things?" 

Lena shifted uncomfortably. For a box of almost nothing, it certainly felt heavy. 

"No, that's okay." She said, walking over to a nearby bin. "It's just junk anyway." 

The thunder seemed to follow her on the way home, though admittedly Lena felt little urgency as she made her way down the winding streets. It was a familiar path, yet different in the late afternoon light. Many of the stores were still open, bustling with foot traffic as schoolchildren made their way from the corner stores, and families of carried their day's shopping to their cars, happily chattering away about their evening plans. Lena was more familiar with the experience of walking to work far before anything had opened up, and making her way home only long after dark had fallen, when most of the streets were quiet and even the late-night restaurants were beginning to close up.

Fascinated, Lena was so absorbed with her new surroundings, that she almost forgot about the weather. She was only reminded of that fact, when the sky seemed to dump a solid block of water onto her. 

" _Shit!_ " 

Screams filled the air as others found themselves caught up in the sudden squall. All around her, people scrambled to find cover or dive for the sanctuary of their cars. Lena saw a car screech to a stop some five feet away from her, honking furiously at a pair of boys ran across a parking lot, whooping and laughing as they sought shelter. 

Lena made it all of five steps through the rain before she realized that she wasn't going to be able to make it home without being washed away. Frantically searching around, she made for the closest  _Open_ sign she could find, and hurriedly scrambled her way into the store. 

Fortunately it was empty, giving Lena enough pause to rest momentarily against the glass door that shielded her from the torrent outside. She was well and truly drenched, her coat soaked through to her blouse, her heels scuffed and wet, her trousers flecked with spots of grit and dirt. 

"Welcome to - Oh my goodness!" 

Lena jumped at the voice, quickly turning to see a blonde, bespectacled woman staring over a counter at her with a look of concern. 

"You're drenched!" She said, hurriedly moving around the counter to inspect Lena further. "Here, let me take your coat." 

Lena's eyes grew wide. "Oh, no - that's quite alright," She stammered, lifting her arms to survey the damage, only to have rainwater trickle out of her sleeves. "I was just - oh, okay." 

Her excuses died on her lips as the other woman helped her shrug off her water-laden jacket, hanging it on a hook behind the door. Lena eyed her with a curious gaze - who  _does_ that? Who sees a random stranger stumble into their store, leak all over their floor, and then  _help_ them? 

"Right then," She said, pushing her round glasses up her nose with the back of her wrist. "Table for one?" 

"Oh, right," Lena said, glancing around the store. "No - sorry, I was just looking for somewhere to hide from the rain. I should probably just -"

She paused, glancing behind her. The storm was unrelenting; if anything, it seemed to have gotten worse over the last few minutes. The footpath was literally overflowing with surging rainwater, and the sky was falling so fast that traffic was barely moving, trundling along so cautiously, hesitant to go any faster in the limited vision. 

The server glanced over Lena's shoulder. "I don't think that's a good idea. C'mon, let's get you warmed up."

Lena sighed; she supposed she didn't really have much choice in the matter. Besides, it wasn't like there was any rush to get home. Instead, she rolled with it, letting herself be guided further into the store, a place which she surmised to be some sort of bakery-cum-cafe. It had a homely vibe to it; flowers in home-made pottery lined the shelves and hung from the ceiling, and lamp fixtures stuck out at odd angles from the walls, none of which matched, and few of which actually worked. There were only a few tables in the store, accompanied with chairs that seemed to have been found from different parts of the world, each possibly from a different decade, every one of them a different colour of the rainbow. 

Deeper into the store, she could see the bulky machinery of industrial baking equipment; large ovens, huge mixing bowls and sacks of sugar and flour and everything in-between. From there, the heart-melting smell of fresh bread wafted lazily through, heavy over the smell of wet clothes on Lena's back. 

When Lena was sat down at a bright green stool, the blonde woman pulled a notebook from her chest pocket. 

"Right then, what can I get you?" 

"I don't know," Lena said, looking around for a menu. "What do you do here?" 

She smiled, pushing her glasses back up her nose again. "A bit of everything - fresh bread, pies, pastries, cakes; but I think  _you_ want a donut." 

Lena cocked her head, a look of incredulity on her face. "What makes you say that?" 

The other shrugged. "You look down. I mean - that might just be from getting caught in the rain, but hey, a donut and a latte always makes me feel better." 

Lena smiled, nodding in agreement. "Alright then, a donut and a latte then." Lena watched as she scribbled down her order, despite being the only one in the store, but she couldn't help but feel intrigued by the girl. There was something fascinating about the way she held herself, the way that she pursed her lips as she scrawled, the way her nose wrinkled in concentration, the way her sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, betraying strong, lithe arms -

"W-what's your name?" Lena splurted, an impulse brought on by a sudden flash of heat to her cheeks. 

"Kara." Said the waitress, smiling as she tore off a copy to place on the table.  

"Kara." Lena paused. "That's a pretty name." 

"Oh," Kara paused, her eyes growing wide, her face turning the slightest tinge of pink. "T-thanks! I - well, I mean, doesn't hold much to, uh, to - _what'syourname?_ "

"L-Lena." 

"Lena," Kara nodded. "Great name. Great - Great name." 

Lena gave a small, awkward chuckle, before falling into what could only be described as one of the most uncomfortable silences she had ever experienced. 

"Anyway, I better - "

"Yeah, sorry, you probably have - "

"- Your coffee, I just - "

"- Yeah, that's just - and the  _donuts -_ "

"- The donuts, of course - "

"- For sure, just - "

"- Yup - I'll be... I'll be right here."

Kara laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, you'll just... I'll be right back."

When Kara disappeared into the back, and she was sure she wouldn't be seen, Lena threw her face into her hands. 

_That's a pretty name?! Seriously?! What the fuck is wrong with me?!_

Kara returned shortly with Lena's order, and between them laid an unspoken promise to each other to completely ignore what events had just transpired. 

"Here you are," Kara said, laying down a cup and saucer in one hand, and an ornate plate with two glazed donuts in the other. "Need anything else?" 

"I'm fine, thanks." 

Kara smiled, and made her way back behind the counter at the front of the store. The first sip of coffee flooded Lena's body with a soothing warmth. It was enough to make her smile, something Lena only then realized had been missing from her life for some time. In fact, the warmth had left her so elated, that she was hardly prepare for the euphoria that the donut had in store. 

"Oh my god." 

Kara poked her head over the counter, a smirk on her face. "Pretty good, huh?" 

Lena looked up at her, nodding and wide-eyed. "Te betht I'e ether 'ad." She said, donut crumbs tumbling from her mouth.

Kara laughed, resting her elbows over the counter. "Family recipe. Sort of." 

Lena smiled, glancing down at the other donut sitting on her saucer.

"Come join me?"

Lena felt bad for having the thought, but she was glad that no-one else came to grace the quaint bakery-cum-cafe that afternoon. They spoke at length, of each other and their lives, of their time in the city and their families, albeit only briefly. They spoke of time and the future and travel, and though they had only just met that afternoon, Lena soon felt like she had know Kara her whole life.

It was long after the rain had stopped, that the sun had well and truly made its way to roost, and the last remaining vestiges of Lena's latte had dried up that she realized it was probably time to head on home.

"Thanks for the coffee." Lena said, gathering her coat from the door hook.

"Any time." Kara said, beaming. Lena couldn't help but smile back - She had assumed that Kara had that sort of effect on most people, but she wasn't quite prepared for how profound an effect it would have on her. Of course, the by-product of this effect meant that the two simply stood smiling silently at each other until they turned, red-faced, and quickly hurried to avert their gazes again. 

"Best get home before it gets too dark," Kara said, grinning awkwardly at shoes. "I'm sure you have to wake up early for work tomorrow." 

Lena chuckled, shaking her head. "Unlikely. I was fired today." 

Kara's face fell. "Oh - I'm  _so_ sorry, I -"

Lena shook her head again, placing a hand intuitively across Kara's arms. "It's okay, really. Not a big deal." 

Kara smiled sheepishly, but she took Lena's word for it. 

The doorbell tinkled as Lena stepped through the threshold, embracing the chilly evening air. Most of the stores were closed, but several restaurants and bars were still thrumming with life and music. Even after spending an entire afternoon and evening in the cafe, she was still going to get home before she normally would. 

She hadn't made it halfway across the adjacent shopfront before she heard the bell tinkle from behind her, and Kara's voice calling to her.

"You know," Kara said, head poking out out the door. "We're open for brunch!" 

Lena smiled. 

"Sounds like a plan." 

**Author's Note:**

> what am i doing. i dont even watch this show. did i even get the characterizations right? i just got caught up in the tumblr photosets. i'm so sorry. thanks? i have a 20k fic i need to edit. what am i doing.


End file.
